Photo Composition Mrs. Stiles

Rule of Thirds 0 This is the first rule of photography that is taught and it is something that should be always be kept in mind when taking a picture. 0 The Rule of Thirds is that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally- spaced vertical lines, and that the important parts of your picture should be on these lines or their intersections.

Rule of Thirds

Balancing your Elements 0 Placing your main subject off-centre, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void or space in the photo which can make it feel empty. 0 You should balance the 'weight' of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.

Balancing your Elements

Leading Lines 0 When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking about how you place lines in your composition, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey 'through' the scene. There are many different types of line - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc - and each can be used to enhance our photo's composition.

Leading Lines

Symmetry and Patterns 0 We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made. They can make for very eye- catching compositions, particularly in situations where they are not expected. Another great way to use them is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene.

Symmetry and Patterns

Pattern

Symmetry

Texture 0 Textures can be found everywhere and can make a beautiful photograph all on their own. Most textures are enhanced by great lighting whether it be natural lighting from the sun, studio lights, or even just a lamp in the corner of the room. Textures are another one of those mundane things you see everyday that can make your photos really pop and create the illusion of three dimensionality.

Texture

Viewpoint 0 Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. 0 Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.

Unusual Angle

From Above

Low Angle

Depth 0 Because photography is a two-dimensional medium, we have to choose our composition carefully to conveys the sense of depth that was present in the actual scene. You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. Another useful composition technique is overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure one object with another. The human eye naturally recognises these layers and mentally separates them out, creating an image with more depth.

Shallow Depth of Field

Large Depth of Field

Framing 0 The world is full of objects which make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest.

Framing

Cropping 0 Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around the subject you eliminate the background 'noise', ensuring the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention. 0 If there is something in your photo that isn’t needed, relevant to the photo, or don’t support the image you are trying to capture Crop it out

Cropping

Up Close 0 Subject only partially in the Shot

Up Close

Simplicity 0 The saying "less is more" is often true in image composition. The photo is often more beautiful and effective if unnecessary elements are left out of the frame. A common mistake is to try to include all possible things in one photo. It is often wise to include only one clear center of interest into the photo.image composition 0 When you are taking a photo, you should check if there are any distracting elements on the edges of the frame. The photos on this page are examples of simple yet effective compositions. In fact one reason why they work is their simplicity

Simplicity

Monotonous Content

Movement 0 If you have motion, try to place the object that is moving into the larger part of the frame (more space in front of the vehicle than behind). If the moving thing approaches an edge, it may seem it's about to "fall off", which is discomforting to the viewer. If you want to be edgy, go right to the edges.

Movement